So Milton has been spending a lot of time around the house and he's starting to be a typical, pain in the butt kitten. We have a plant and he's obsessed with batting at the leaves and I think he's thinking about jumping for the top of it. I hope he doesn't go for it, but I can't keep my eye on him forever.

He's also doing a poofy tail, arched back, ears pinned thing at Tiffany. I think he wants Tiffany to go after him and play with him, but I worry he could be bullying Tiffany. I don't know much about cat behavior, but I hope Milton doesn't grow into being a bully. He did it this morning and then rolled over on his back and tried to get Tiffany to bat him around. I hope it's just playfulness!

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:20 pmPosts: 1093Location: Land of the First Kaiju

Don't worry too much just yet! Cats kind of go through 'phases' with each other and just by themselves, honestly. I'm sure he's just trying to provoke him. Momo did a sort of weird sideways crabwalk with his back arched with Mido for a while at the beginning, and he was totally just playing. My cats play constantly.

Aaaand I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that kitten is going to keep on being a kitten. We are constantly shaking a squirt bottle at Momo to get him to stop doing things he shouldn't be doing (he often knows what the bottle means and we don't get a chance to spray him before he hops down and away). We probably should do a better job of kitten-proofing our place, but it's hard in a small NYC apartment to relocate breakables out of harm's way.

That's what Milton did! The weird arched back crab walk thing! Haha. I think Milton really wants Tiffany to pay attention to him. We don't have too many breakables in the house, though he did do a sliding jump onto our entertainment center this morning and knocked down all the holiday cards. I'm just worried he's going to hurt himself more than anything around here. He's definitely got the clumsy kitten thing going on. He rolls around on the couch flirting with us and almost always falls off.

It's insanely cute. I love him. Oh, and he slept with me this morning. Like he curled up in my bed, under my arm, and fell back asleep. SQUEE. My bf got a picture of it, though I'm afraid I looked like a sleeping monster.

Yeah, my younger cat sometimes tries to goad my elder cat into playing with him, my older cat is mostly beyond the age of being interested and doesn't take him up on it when the younger one runs up really fast behind him and does sort of a running tackle that doesn't knock him flat but just is sort of his "you wanna play?" signal. Or he starts biting Kizzy's hind legs and batting his tail and stuff like that. The good news is that when it's evident Kizzy doesn't want to play, the younger one leaves him alone and doesn't persist and bother him. They figure out each other's signals.

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:20 pmPosts: 1093Location: Land of the First Kaiju

pickledtreats wrote:

That's what Milton did! The weird arched back crab walk thing! Haha. I think Milton really wants Tiffany to pay attention to him. We don't have too many breakables in the house, though he did do a sliding jump onto our entertainment center this morning and knocked down all the holiday cards. I'm just worried he's going to hurt himself more than anything around here. He's definitely got the clumsy kitten thing going on. He rolls around on the couch flirting with us and almost always falls off.

It's insanely cute. I love him. Oh, and he slept with me this morning. Like he curled up in my bed, under my arm, and fell back asleep. SQUEE. My bf got a picture of it, though I'm afraid I looked like a sleeping monster.

I'm actually kind of sad Momo doesn't do the crab walk thing anymore. It was crazy cute. Now he just has what we call the day terrors and runs from side to side of the bed with his ears back, meowing for Mido to wrestle with him.

I think it would take a great deal for Milton to hurt himself falling off something. Bumbles bounce!

I think Tiffany is going through a phase now, too. He's really lethargic and seems almost sick :( We're keeping an eye on him, but it's been a lot of stress lately. We got Milton, we had a big family party, then there was NYE (people set off a ton of fireworks here), then we tried giving him some different food mixed with his old food and it made him sick. Sigh. We're trying to give him lots of love and attention. Milton is also going through a needy phase - following me around, crying when he can't find me, etc.

Hopefully they will both chill out eventually! It's been less than a week with Milton here. I have to remember that.

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:20 pmPosts: 1093Location: Land of the First Kaiju

I'm just going to keep chiming in because I feel like it.

Mido (cat #1) was pretty sulky when we first brought Momo home. She hid under the bed, chair... my boyfriend kept having to pull her out and pet her and tell her she's special to us and that we still love her.

Things will turn to normal, I promise you. Oh but just a warning, there may be a bout of illness passed between your two cats if (or when) Milton gets sick. He's an actual kitten, right? Their immune systems are fairly weak, so just try to be prepared for some vet visits. He and Mido have given each other a few illnesses already, and our vet recommended giving both of them lysine treats (which we bought at our vet's office) regularly as a supplement to boost their immune systems. Just something to consider, since it can end up being stressful and costly. I keep telling myself an end is in sight (Momo has ringworm now hooraaaaaaaay).

Please keep chiming in! It's been a long time since I had a kitten. Milton seems totally fine, but Tiffany is just completely lethargic. He's usually pretty lazy and naps most of the day, but he's even more so. For example, he usually runs to the door when we come home and he hasn't been doing that. He's also doing some weird mouth breathing thing when I pet him.

I gave him a bit of steamed broccoli yesterday (one of his favorites) and he ate a little floret. He's also coming when I shake his treat bag, but he just seems overall bummed or lazy. I dunno. I made an appointment with the vet for Monday afternoon. If Tiffany is still being weird we'll go to the appointment, but if he's better we can cancel. We've never taken him to the vet anyway, so it will be good to take him. I'm just dreading the fight to put him in the carrier. I have to wear a coat and gloves to protect myself. Though if he's this lazy then, maybe it will be easier.

What kind of illnesses did your cats pass around to each other? What symptoms? Might help me keep an eye out!

Just a tip to get Tiffany in the carrier--I have the same problem with Thurston and swaddling him in a towel (which is a struggle in itself but a lesser struggle than getting him in the carrier with his limbs free to brace himself against the opening and prevent me from getting him in there at all) but just get Tiffany swaddled in a towel that you can wrap around him so his limbs aren't free and just slide him into the carrier like a kitty burrito. Works with my struggling Thurston and other cats I've had with similiar carrier reluctance issues.

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:20 pmPosts: 1093Location: Land of the First Kaiju

pickledtreats wrote:

What kind of illnesses did your cats pass around to each other? What symptoms? Might help me keep an eye out!

Yeah, a trip to the vet is probably a good idea in general if you're not away of any conditions he may have in general. Sometimes cats pant if they're stressed out? But again, this could be a phase. Doesn't hurt to seek a professional opinion in case it could be illness and not Milton-inspired woe.

The illnesses my cats back and forth were colds, mainly. And also, oftentimes when you have one sick cat, you have to treat the other preventatively in some way. Momo had tapeworm when we first brought him home, so we had to give pills to both. For illnesses I tend to take note of lethargy, eating patterns, frequency of using the litterbox, playfulness, any yellow or green eye discharge, eye redness/swelling, skin redness (thanks, ringworm,for instilling that new paranoia!) that sort of thing. You'll be able to tell, trust me.

We're taking Tiff to the vet today. He hasn't been finishing his meat dinners, which is crazy because he usually scarfs them down. He also gets really excited at dinner time and tries to climb the counters, but he isn't doing any of that. :( He also can't meow. He just does this grunting sound. I think he may have a respiratory infection or something wrong with his mouth/teeth. His breath reeks.

He's still using the bathroom, eating, drinking, but he's really lethargic. We have an appointment later today and my bf is taking off work early to come along. I'm dreading the visit, though. Tiff is not a friendly cat to strangers and I'm pretty sure he's going to have to be sedated to be checked out. We're gearing up with a costly visit. Poor Tiff!

Thanks, guys! I'm steeling myself for the carrier stuff. I'm going to put him in a little earlier than necessary so I'm not late. He also gets sick in the car. Poor guy...I hope this doesn't dissolve the trust I've built up with him over the last year. Ugh.

Tip for getting him in the carrier, if you can, try to lure him into the bathroom and close the door. This was a trick I learned for carrier-averse kitties when working for the dierenambulance. They have less places to hide, less to break, and less fabric to cling onto. Then you can try to get a towel wrapped around him and pop him in the carrier burrito style like sietanicverses suggested. He still won't be happy about it, but it's less stressful for you and Tiffany than having to chase him or drag him out from under furniture.

Good luck, and i hope he's ok.

_________________I ate the shiitake out of inappropriateness. - Hollie

Update: We got him in the carrier by putting a small plate of his meat inside the carrier and then popping the top on it. Though I'm not sure he'll ever fall for that one again.

The news from the vet was good and bad. His heart and lungs sound good. However, he's going to need to be sedated next week so they can investigate his ears/nose/throat and teeth, which seem to be giving him trouble. He's missing a lot of teeth - all of his molars - and the doctor thinks he may have these lesions where the roots of the old teeth are infected. Of course he tried to be nice to the vet, but eventually he got all stressed and hissy and scratchy, so she had to stop. While sedated she'll be able to have a better look at everything.

The other issue we were concerned about (him not being able to meow...only grunt) will also be investigated during the procedure. She said sometimes cats get polyps on their larynx that hinder meowing. She said the more troublesome issue is his teeth, which might be causing him a lot of pain. He's stopped eating his dry food completely and barely finishes his wet food. This is super rare for a cat that a few weeks ago was eating all of his food and then some!

It will be costly, for sure, but we're just looking forward to making Tiffany feel better and getting him on a healthy track. I don't think he's ever been to a vet before. He was a stray for the first few years of his life until recently.

Other than that...things are good! Milton is growing already! Even after a week I can see he's bigger.

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:20 pmPosts: 1093Location: Land of the First Kaiju

I'm so sorry to hear about Tiffany's ill-fated trip to the vet! But it sounds like these are all things there are solutions for, which is always a huge relief. I hope he is treated and will recover quickly.

Tiffany is doing a lot better. We took him in on Monday and he was sedated so the doctors could have a better look at him. He had to have a few teeth pulled and they said his gums were infected. They didn't find any reason for his scratchy, lack-of-a-meow. They told us we needed to start brushing his teeth, but that's not going to happen. We're barely allowed to scratch his chin. We did get him on some dental food that is supposed to help his teeth.

Milton is already growing up super fast! Even after just two weeks I can see how much he has grown. He's super playful and loves toys. He fetches a hair tie he found in the house. He's playful but still affectionate and snuggly when he's tired. Also...he's in love with this furry snake thing attached to a stick. Thomas played with it for a while and Milton chased it so much that he was actually panting like a dog and his little nose turned red. We had to make him lay down and chill. He was so worn out he couldn't even stand up to drink his water! He laid down while drinking it:

And he's so in love with the toy that he finds it wherever we hide it. He even went downstairs into the office, dragged it off of my desk, and then dragged it all the way up the stairs in his mouth demanding we play with him. It was pretty awesome to see.

Tiffany still isn't ready to play with Milton, though a few interactions have happened. Milton is DYING for Tiffany to play with him.

Oh, and Milton's getting neutered next month...then we'll have a little teenager on our hands!

I can't believe I missed this thread before. I'm glad to hear Tiffany is doing better, and oh my gosh, Milton is so cuuuuute! I love his little pink nose!

_________________Did you notice the slight feeling of panic at the words "Chicken Basin Street"? Like someone was walking over your grave? Try not to remember. We must never remember. - mumblesIs this about devilberries and nazifruit again? - footface

Update! Milton is doing okay and Tiffany has recovered from his tooth extractions.

Milton was neutered on Monday this week and was back to jumping and playing the moment he came home. However, a few weird things. His right eye was crazy irritated and swollen at first when he got home. And he sounds like he has a cold or congestion. His purr and breathing sound really phlegm-y. He keeps coughing and seeming like he's going to have a hairball, but then nothing. Could this be from the tubes down his throat during surgery? Did he catch a cold there? I dunno what to think about it.

Also cute: He loves his pain medicine, the little junky! He gets excited to drink out of the syringe. Also, he's really into his new toothbrush and toothpaste. He's so weird.

I wish we could get Tiffany to love tooth brushing, but seems he's beyond that.

He is better, but the congestion and loud purring is still there. He has a squeaky meow, too. We took him to the vet and he had a fever and had lost .2 kilos. He got some shots and the fever was gone over the weekend. Hoping his congestion clears! It's likely from the tube he had down his throat, but I worry he might also have allergies. He keeps gagging and sticking his tongue out and scratching his face/mouth. Reminds me of when you have an itchy throat. I'm holding off on worrying about that, though, because I've found some teeth around the house. He might just be having tooth aches and rubbing his face.